La Colombe -- The Dove
Joan Baez · Other Songs - Joan Baez
These squads of young men drill
To kill and to be killed
Stood waiting by the train
Why the orders loud and hoarse
Why the engine's groaning cough
As it strains to drag us all
Into the holocaust
Why crowds who sing and cry
And shout and fling us flowers
And trade their rights for ours
To murder and to die
[Chorus]
The dove has torn her wing(s)
So no more songs of love
We are not here to sing
We're here to kill the dove
Why must this moment come
When childhood has to die
When hope shrinks to a sigh
And speech into a drum
Why are they pale and still
Young boys trained over night
Conscripts payed to kill
And dressed in gray to fight
These rainclouds massing tight
This train load battle bound
This moving burial ground
Goes thundering to the night
[Chorus]
Why statues towering grave
Above the last defeat
Old words and lies repeat
Across a new made grave
And why the same still birds
That victory always brought
These hours of glory bought
By men with mounds of earth
Dead ash without a spark
Where cities used to be
Where guns probe every spark
And crush it into dust
[Chorus]
And while your face undone
With jagged lines of tears
That gave in those first years
All the peace I'd ever want
Your body in the gloom
The platform fading back
Your shadow on the track
A flower upon a tomb
And why these days ahead
When I must let you cry
And live prepared to die
And to
[Chorus]
La Colombe -- The Dove
Joan Baez's 1964 recording of 'La Colombe -- The Dove' stands as a quintessential example of her mid-career folk revival work, blending traditional Spanish balladry with her signature acoustic guitar style. The song, often associated with her repertoire of folk songs from Latin America, reflects the era's deep engagement with cultural exchange and social consciousness. Baez's clear, emotive vocal delivery captures the melancholic yet hopeful tone characteristic of the piece, showcasing her ability to interpret and preserve folk traditions while maintaining a distinct American voice. This recording exemplifies the broader movement of the 1960s folk revival, where artists like Baez sought to elevate folk music beyond mere protest into a vehicle for storytelling and cultural appreciation.